Rewind the time by roughly a month and Anfernee Simons looked like an excellent addition to the Philadelphia 76ers. He effectively filled the void left behind by the controversial Jared McCain trade as a sharpshooting guard with the ability to create offense for himself and others.
Unfortunately, after the 76ers added two high-volume offensive players in Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, Simons already looks like a candidate to be traded to fill potential voids once he's eligible.
In accordance with the NBA's CBA, Simons can't be traded until Dec. 15. As such, there's certainly time for him to silence potential concerns and prove that he's an ideal fit despite the surplus of scorers and playmakers who will need a star's portion of the touches.
If the 76ers ultimately find the need to plug other holes, however—including that of a taller 3-and-D wing or a more ideal backup center—then Simons will be a likely trade candidate.
Simons is an excellent shooter who should be able to play off of the stars on the offensive end of the floor. His touches will be limited, however, as the likes of Brown, Joel Embiid, James, and Tyrese Maxey all rank among the most high-volume players in the NBA—and V.J. Edgecombe will need considerable touches of his own to avoid stunting his development on offense.
With this in mind, Simons' quality of play with the 76ers may not actually prevent his team-friendly contract from being moved.
Anfernee Simons is a potential trade candidate after Sixers' haul
Simons has averaged as many as 22.6 points and 5.5 assists per game in the NBA. As such, there's reason to believe that he could occupy a meaningful role on the offensive end of the floor for a team that needs support for its stars.
One simply can't help but acknowledge that Brown, Embiid, James, and Maxey all posted usage rates of 26.2 or higher in 2025-26—and how few touches their new roles could leave for Simons.
Yes, Simons will likely occupy the role of a sixth man and could thus have chances to run the show for the second unit. A part of appeasing the stars, however, will likely be staggering minutes in a way that enables all four of Brown, Edgecombe, James, and Maxey to have time in ball-dominant roles.
That would seemingly subject Simons to a fairly limited offensive role, within which he'd be more of a floor-spacer than an all-around scoring threat. Thankfully, if there's one silver lining to be found it's that he's a career 38.1 percent three-point shooter.
76ers will only have so many touches to go around
The big question mark that could push Simons out of the door, however, is defense. He's become somewhat underrated as a defender, particularly after he bought in with the Boston Celtics in 2025-26, but he's also fairly undersized at 6'3" with a thin frame.
If the 76ers decide they need to prioritize a taller wing defender who offers more versatility on that end, then trading Simons could be their best bet.
That's the trickiest part of this discussion. It's not just a matter of whether or not Simons can play in this system. If push comes to shove and the 76ers need to find value on the trade market, then his talent and $6 million salary are due to be among the most valuable assets they'd conceivably be willing to part with, as the stars will likely be off limits.
Compounded by the fact that rookie Labaron Philon Jr. has a similar skill set and profile, Simons' days in Philadelphia may have become numbered before they could even truly begin.
Add us as a preferred source on Google